Cold Outreach is a Waste of Time ( What to Do Instead ), with Dave Plunkett

Cold Outreach is a Waste of Time ( What to Do Instead ), with Dave Plunkett

From Building your LeaderBrand - Personal Branding, Digital Marketing, Sales, Leadership & Linkedin for Expert Business Owners & Executives. by Bob Gentle Personal Branding & Monetization Coach

April 13, 2026 · 33 min · Episode 338

About this episode

In this episode, Bob Gentle discusses with Dave Plunkett the importance of leveraging referrals over cold outreach for business growth.

If you're like me, you might feel that the world of marketing is trying to convince you that the only way to grow your business is through complex funnels and cold outreach. But the data shows that for a healthy expert business, 60-70% of your opportunities should come from people you already know. This is why I was so keen to speak with Dave Plunkett, a specialist in scaling businesses through referrals and partnerships. He confirms that relying on your network isn't a weakness; it's a sign that you're good at what you do. In our conversation, we explored how to move from accidental, "organic" referrals to an intentional, systemised approach that feels human and generates consistent results. Here are a few key things we discussed: ✳️ The importance of treating a referral as an extension of the referrer's reputation and the simple steps you can take to honour that trust. ✳️ How to identify the perfect "wow moments" in your client journey to ask for a referral when enthusiasm is at its peak. ✳️ The difference between rewarding and incentivising partners, and how to commercialise relationships to make them more robust. And here are three actions you can take this week: ✳️ Make a…

People in this episode

Host: Bob Gentle

Guest: Dave Plunkett

Topics covered

  • cold outreach
  • referrals
  • networking
  • business growth
  • partnerships

Keywords

  • cold outreach
  • referrals
  • business growth
  • networking
  • partnerships
  • client journey
  • motivation

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Dan Pink

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